Can opener



July 13, 1943. G, REENSTIERNA CAN OPENER Filed May 23, 1942 w 5 iall/annnnflhnn IIH.

INVENTOR. 6 USTAF L. REE NSTIERNA Paul ATLwar;

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 13, 1943 CAN ()PENER Gustaf L. Reenstierna, Union City, N.5., assignor of onehalf to Rome Aiazzone, Union City, N. J.

Application May 23, 1942, Serial No. 444,168

8 Claims.

My invention particularly relates to a device for opening tin cans andcans commonly used in the home, as well as elsewhere. Among the purposesand objects are to provide:

A. device for opening cans with a minimum of physical effort.

A safe can opener.

A can opener which permits all of the con tents to be drained from thecan.

A sanitarily opened can.

A can opener which lifts the out out opening outwardly.

A can opener which cuts out, bends outwardly the cut out portion andforms a pouring spout.

A can opener which, by its operation, grips any can.

A can opener which opens cans having a small rim bead or no grippingedge. I accomplish these and other objects by the construction hereindescribed and shown in the accompanying drawing, which forms a part ofthis patent, and in which:

l is a section at li Fig. 5.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section at ll Fig. 5, in which the can ispierced ready to be opened.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the cutter.

Fig. i is an elevation of the hook.

Fig. 5 is a section at 55, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the application of my device.

'7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the opening in the can.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawin and in the specification to follow.

The many devices for opening the ordinary tin can, and particularly whenoperated by the housewife, have much to be desired; they are diihcult tohandle and dangerous, and many cause the dirt or metal from the can tobe mixed with the contents. Most require a strong hand to hold the canwhile cutting the metal in opening it.

These, and other difliculties, are overcome by my can opener. Itsoperation is simple, safe, and the strength of the hands or" the userneed not be exerted in holding or operating the cutter.

My device is applied to the can, the lever is raised and lowered, andthe device is swung upwardly and removed. These two simple operationsnot only cut the opening but bend the cut out portion outwardly and alsoform a pouring lip or spout outside the normal periphery of the top ofthe can. The lifting of the lever clamps the can firmly due to the footengaging the bottom of the can. The can thus may not have a rolled topperipheral edge and the can does not have to be held firmly, as theprocess of cutting does this, as will be seen by a study of theconstruction. The can may even be clamped onto the kitchen table, ifdesired, by the mere operation of the lever, and in such case, the footengages the bottom surface of the table instead of the bottom of thecan, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

My device comprises a frame l, the lower end 2 of which serves to holdthe can 3 by means of the foot 4 which may be adjustably secured to theframe, thereby adapting my device to cans of various heights, as well asto both the can and table 5, if desired.

The upper end 6 of the frame is provided with the cutter guide 1 intowhich the cutter 8 is slidably mounted and moved by the lever 9, one endof which is provided with the segmental rack it} and pivot ii, the pivotpin 12 of which engages the apertured bosses 13 of the frame I. Thelever 9 is preferably moved downwardly or retracted by the torsionalspring Hi disposed around the pivot pin 52. A handle i5 is provided atthe free end of the lever 9 which swings about 180 degrees in thepiercing and forming of the spout at the top of the can. The teeth ofthe segmental rack ii preferably engage the apertures I"! in the cutter8, thereby moving the cutter downward in its vertical travel to pierceand form the canby raising the handle of the lever and withdrawing thecutter upwardly as the lever is moved by the spring it back to itsnormal lowered position.

The cutter 8 is preferably cylindrical in shape, and the cutting edge i3is preferably formed at an angle of about 45 degrees so that the lowestpoint i9. pierces the can near the rim 2% first, and upon furthermovement extending the pierced circular slot to about of a circular,thereby leaving a hinge 2i on which the cut out portion 22 of the top 23of the canS may be bent up-" wardly.

The cutter 8 has an outwardly projecting spout forming projection 24which is slightly less in width than the slot 25 in the frame i intowhich said projection forces the rim 29 to form the spout 26.

Near the top end of the cutter 8, I have provided the bosses 2'! and pin28 engaging the slot '29 in the hook 3B which permits the hook to swingas well as travel vertically in relation to said cutter. To yieldinglyhold the hook in its normal vertical position, I have provided thetorsional spring 3|, and to cooperate with said spring 3| in holding thehook in its normal lower position, I have provided the shoulder 32 onsaid hook on which the compression spring 33 rests, the upper end of thespring 33 pressing against the washer 34 and bosses 21.

When the cutter is forced downwardly to pierce the can the bottom end 35is brought against the top of the can and cut out portion 22, causingthe hook to compress the spring until upon further movement the end 35is thrust into the cut slot until the lip 36 of the hook engages theedge 31 of said cut out portion 22, and upon the completion of formingthe spout and cut out portion, the lever handle is lowered and thehandle and frame are simultaneously swung upwardly to bend the cut outportion 22, and thereby provide the desired opening in the top of thecan.

It is to be noted that the pressure of the cutter against the can top bythe cutter also forces an equal pressure by the foot on the bottom ofthe can or the table when the foot is extended to engage the table aswell as the can.

I have shown the foot secured to the extension member 38 which may beadjusted to extend the frame the desired length'by inserting the pin 39of said member into the predetermined aperture 40 of the row ofapertures 4| in the lower end of the frame I which otherwise is the sameas the frame I, A spring 4| may be added to hold the extension in thedesired place of adjustment. This and other details of construction maybe modified: for instance, the shape of the cutter may be a polygon,oval or a part of a cylinder or any other desired shape.

I have shown and described in detail my pre ferred construction asillustrative of the embodiment of the principles underlying myinvention. To those skilled in the art to which my invention pertainsand after a study of this disclosure, it is believed that numerousmodifications of the construction herein disclosed may be apparent tosuit my device to the many uses for which it may be adapted. I do notwish to be limited to the details of construction, as I may wish todepart therefrom within the scope of the appended claims which set forthmy invention.

I claim:

1. In a can opener, a frame, a lever operated cutter slidably mounted insaid frame and a foot engaging the bottom of the can or the table uponwhich the can rests, vertical guiding means for said cutter and aprojection on and beyond the outer surface of said cutter and beyond thenormal periphery of the can thereby forming a spout on said can, saidprojection forcing the top rim of the can outward beyond its normalperiphery when moved down vertically in said guiding means.

2. In a can opener, a frame, a lever operated cutter slidably mounted insaid frame and a foot engaging the bottom of the can or the table uponwhich the can rests, and a hook carried by said cutter engaging the cutout portion of the top of the can to bend said out out portion out ofand away from the top of the can, and spring means holding said hookyieldingly in its normal position.

3. In a can opener, a frame, a lever operated cutter slidably mounted insaid frame and a foot engaging the bottom of the can or the table uponwhich the can rests, and a hook carried by said cutter engaging the cutout portion of the top of the can to bend said out out portion out ofand away from the top of the can, and spring means holding said hookyieldingly in its normal position, said hook being forced to moveagainst said spring means to enter the cut made by said cutter, and alip on said hook engaging the inside edge of the cut out portion of thetop of the can.

4. In a can opener, a frame, a lever operated cutter slidably mounted insaid frame and a foot engaging the bottom of the can or the table uponwhich the can rests, and a hook carried by said cutter engaging the cutout portion of the top of the can to bend said out out portion out ofand away from the top of the can, and spring means holding said hookyieldingly in its normal position, said hook being forced to moveagainst said spring means to enter the cut made by said cutter, and alip on said hook engaging the inside surface of the can at the edge ofthe cut out portion.

5. In a can opener, a cutter, guide means for vertically guiding saidcutter, a frame and means supported by said frame operating said cutterand forcing said cutter to pierce the top of the can and an outwardprojection formed on said cutter to form a spout beyond the normalperiphery of the can by the vertical travel of said cutter andprojection.

6. In a can opener, a cutter, guide means for said cutter, a frame andmeans supported by said frame operating said cutter and forcing saidoutter to pierce the top of the can, said cutter having apertures, and alever having a segmental rack engaging said apertures.

'7. In a can opener, a cutter, guide means for said cutter, a frame andmeans supported by said frame operating said cutter and forcing saidoutter to pierce the top of the can and a guide on said frame guidingsaid cutter vertically, and a projection on the surface of said cutterforming a spout while said cutter pierces the top of the can in itsvertical downward travel.

8. In a can opener, a cutter, guide means for said cutter, a frame andmeans supported by said frame operating said cutter and forcing saidcutter to pierce the top of the can and a guide on said frame guidingsaid cutter vertically, and a projection on the surface of said cutterforming a spout while said cutter pieces the top of the can in itsvertical downward travel, said guide forcing said projection against theinner rim of the can.

GUSTAF L. REENSTIERNA.

